BOMA view Mayor
I hope everyone is staying positive as they endure this heat wave and struggle with a new normal. Getting used to mandatory face coverings and physical distancing has been a necessary challenge to keep us all safe. I appreciate those who are willing to set their own physical comfort aside for the protection of others.
Over the past few months, we’ve learned a new way to conduct Town meetings. Virtual meetings, per Gov. (Bill) Lee’s Executive Orders, have been an unexpected change. It’s been a learning curve that we had no choice but to embrace. Our No. 1 priority has been to keep our staff, board and committee members, and residents safe from the risk of exposure that comes from in-person meetings.
What we have learned from this virtual experience is that Farragut residents have become very interested in how the Town of Farragut operates. In response to this, the Board will work together to better educate the public on the ins and outs of our local government.
For the next few months, monthly columns by our Board members will be part of an educational series about our Town and how it works. We’ll start with our volunteer committees and boards. One of my many goals was to have the mayor or an alderman on each committee, and that has been accomplished. Some of us even participate in more than one committee. By providing more information about volunteer committees, we hope to encourage more residents to step up to serve their community.
We will also cover each of the town departments and include input from department heads and staff. We’ll explore the work of our Municipal Planning Commission and Board of Mayor and Alderman by explaining ordinances and resolutions. Following that, we’ll move on to the Comprehensive Land Use Plan and then to zoning. Last, but not least, we’ll discuss property rights and how that impacts all of the above.
This information will be a brief summary of what’s presented in our annual Introduction to Farragut class. The deadline for this year’s class has passed, but I hope these columns will give readers some insight into the work of our local government. We’re working hard for you, and we invite you to take a closer look.
